


Substory 1 - Adventures In Babysitting

by TheAwkwardStar



Series: Yakuza AU (Kingdom Hearts/Yakuza series) [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts, 龍が如く | Ryuu ga Gotoku | Yakuza (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Substory, Yakuza AU, You're Welcome, a more lighthearted piece, i'm warming up to him, in which vanitas is still a terrible person but also somewhat likeable, relatively
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 04:04:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18984895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAwkwardStar/pseuds/TheAwkwardStar
Summary: After a failed collection job, Vanitas searches for a stolen suitcase of cash through unconventional means.





	Substory 1 - Adventures In Babysitting

**Author's Note:**

> So someone on Tumblr gave me the brilliant idea of integrating substories into this AU, much like how the Yakuza video game series does theirs! (or similarly, the mini-worlds in Kingdom Hearts like Atlantica in Kingdom Hearts 2 and Winnie-The-Pooh throughout the entire series)
> 
> So without further ado, have a more lighthearted piece to ease the hectic tension of the main storyline. Not set in a particular time frame, either. Just enjoy it!

“N-no….no! Don't do this!

 

Vanitas spun the dagger in his hand, glowering at a middle-aged man on the ground. He'd gotten on his hands and knees, his head down and obscuring his bruised face. 

 

“I beg of you!” The man clasped his hands together. “Just give me some more time! I-I’ll get the money, I promise! I have almost all of it!”

 

“I don't do promises.” Vanitas kicked the man in the temple, making him fall over. The man coughed out blood and took off his now broken glasses.

 

“You had  _ plenty _ of time. My boss is tired of waiting for you to pay up, so he told me to do whatever I wanted if you didn't have the cash. And since you don't...I think this is a reasonable punishment.”

 

Vanitas leaned forward and yanked the man upwards by the hair. He almost cackled at how pathetic he looked. The man was about to burst into tears.

 

“P-please....I have a family!”

 

Vanitas raised an eyebrow. “So what?”

 

“I have a little girl! I can't leave her all alone. Let me go back to her, and I  _ swear _ I’ll-”

 

“-Let me stop you right there.” Vanitas pulled the man closer. 

 

“I was very clear with what I said. You came to  _ us _ for some money. A whopping 100 mil is what you asked for, and we agreed. You were given a deadline to pay it back. You had time, and now you've run out of it. So quit yapping and accept that you're  _ dying _ here. I don't care if you have a kid.”

 

Vanitas raised his dagger, making the man scream. He grinned.

 

“This is what happens when you cross the yakuza.  _ No hard feelings.” _

 

Just as he aimed to slice the throat, he was cut off by the sound of something ringing. It took him a second to realize that it was his phone.

 

“Damn it. Just when it was starting to get good.” Vanitas let go of the man and kicked him down to the dirt again.

 

“...Beat it. I've got better things to do than waste my breath on your cowardly ass. But I  _ will _ find you if you talk about this to anyone. Consider this a mercy.”

 

The middle-aged man stood up shakily, then ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Vanitas scoffed and dug into his pocket for the cellphone, which was still ringing. He quickly answered the call before it fell.

 

“I'm busy. What do you want.”

 

“No need to sound so pissed, kiddo!” a familiar, cocky voice chimed. “Don't forget that you still answer to me.”

 

“Answer the question,  _ Xigbar.” _ Vanitas squeezed the phone. “I don't have time for this.”

 

“Xehanort asked me to check in on you. Make sure that you aren't gettin’  _ too _ excited out in the field and all that. He ain't against you killing or anything, but he doesn't want you to leave a mess. Cops pick up on that sort of thing, in case you forgot.”

 

“Relax,” Vanitas said calmly. “You interrupted me. That foreigner named Mr. Gibbs wasn't going to be a problem anymore until you made me stop.”

 

“Wait, he didn't have the money?”

 

“Nope.” Vanitas scowled. “...He got off scot-free. At least for  _ now.” _

 

Xigbar grunted. “Cool it, psycho. You have to do this by the rules. You can't kill him just yet. We need that cash back.”

 

“And how am I supposed to do that?”

 

He heard Xigbar move a little in a rolling chair, then the familiar sound of a crinkling potato chip bag. Slacking off as always, yet he still managed to be Xehanort’s second-in-command. Vanitas was just below him, which was incredibly aggravating.

 

“...How about family? Has he got any in this country?”

 

Vanitas hummed. “A daughter, apparently. But I don't know where they live.”

 

_ “Then figure it out.” _ Xigbar slammed his hand on the desk. “Your target couldn't have gotten far with the beating you gave him. Interrogate him, then hold the kid for ransom or something. No killing. That oughta be enough for the dad to cough up the doe.”

 

“...Remember that if you  _ don't _ get it,  _ you're  _ the one who's gonna feel the pain instead of him.”

 

Vanitas gritted his teeth, refraining from saying anything he would regret later. He had to keep his anger in check, no matter how much he wanted to let it all out.

 

“Yeah. I get the message.” his voice shook with barely contained rage.

 

“Good. We'll see you tonight, then. You got until midnight.  _ Don't be late.” _

 

Xigbar hung up. Vanitas had the urge to smash his phone on the ground. Which he didn't, since he needed it after all. 

 

_...Couldn't have gotten far, huh?  _ Vanitas put his long steel dagger back in its sheath.

 

_ Well. At least  _ **_this_ ** _ might be fun. _

 

****

Vanitas headed out to the closest main street from where they'd been, named Park Blvd. He scanned the congested populace for any sign of the man he’d let escape. His head perked up when he heard the  _ bweep  _ of an ambulance. Vanitas caught sight of his target being carted on a gurney into the truck. Outside, a cop and one of the drivers were talking. 

 

He decided to get a little closer and listen in to their conversation. He blended into the crowd surrounding the ambulance, putting on a pair of black sunglasses for good measure.

 

“...Has two broken ribs, and the rest are fractured. His nose is broken. The rest of his face is bruised and completely bashed in. Poor guy is shaking like a leaf and can barely speak at all. Did manage to give us his address, at least.”

 

“Do you know who did this to him?” the cop asked the driver. He seemed to be writing down information on a clipboard. The address had to be on there.

 

The driver shook his head. “No idea. Some bystanders called 911 when they saw the guy stumble out of an alleyway.”

 

“Why would he have gone in there?”

 

“Sorry officer, I don't know that either. We have to take him to the hospital as soon as possible. He may have some severe internal bleeding.”

 

“Of course. Thank you for your time.”

 

As the driver and the cop went their separate ways, Vanitas pretended to bump into the cop. The clipboard clattered on the floor.

 

“Oh, sorry sir!” Vanitas picked up the clipboard, staring at it for a split second to memorize the address. He was good at pretending to be innocent and oblivious. Tricked stupid people all the time.

 

He handed it to the cop and gave him a friendly smile.

 

“Here you go.”

 

The cop gave him a mildly suspicious look, but shrugged it off and left. Like many others who couldn't see past the facade, he saw the young man as completely harmless. Vanitas chuckled quietly to himself.

 

“That was too easy.”

 

****

 

_ So this is his apartment on West Shichifuku Street. Gotta say, I'm not impressed. _

 

Vanitas went up the slightly rusted set of metal stairs to the small yet quaint apartment. He knocked on the front door and waited for someone to answer. And waited. And waited. And...waited. By the 7-minute mark, Vanitas started tapping his foot as he stared at the watch on his wrist.

 

_...Maybe the kid isn't home. That's frustrating. Guess I'll have to sneak in the hospital and get more info out of the guy. _

 

Just as he turned around to leave, he heard a small click as the door unlocked. He glanced back to see a little girl’s head poke out. She had her brown hair tied up in pigtails.

 

_...Oh.  _

 

Vanitas spun back around, making the girl whimper and hide behind the door. He stopped the door with his foot before she could shut it.

 

“...I'm sorry.” Vanitas faked a sincere tone. “Do you know a Mr. Gibbs, kid? He sent me here for you.”

 

“Daddy?” The girl opened the door a little more. 

 

“Err...yeah. ‘daddy'.” Vanitas scrunched up his nose. “Is that what you prefer calling him?”

 

The girl nodded quickly. Seeing that she wasn't opening the door any further proved that she was still skeptical about his story. Had to be what he was wearing, too. 

 

_ She’s not buying it. I need something more convincing to say. Time for Plan B.  _

 

Vanitas softened his gaze and kneeled down, sliding his foot back outside. He even took off his sunglasses. The little girl still eyed him dubiously.

 

“You see, your daddy sent me here because I'm your new...babysitter. He got pretty hurt on the way home.”

 

_ I’m already regretting this. _ Vanitas’s mouth twitched, which the girl didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes widened after he mentioned that her father was hurt, and she backed away a little more.

 

_ Ugh. More improvising, I guess. Can’t scare her off. _

 

“Don't worry! He's at the hospital right now, so he  _ should _ be okay.” Vanitas internally laughed at the thought. 

 

“...But yeah. I'm going to look after you in the meantime. A big, tough guy that can  _ actually  _ defend you. He doesn't want you to go see him until he feels better, but he wants you to be  _ extra _ safe. So could I please come in?”

 

The girl stared at him in silence for a few minutes. She abruptly closed the door in his face.

 

_ Well. That was rude. I'm not against breaking in, at least. _

 

Vanitas grabbed the door handle, only to feel it wriggling. He let go to see what would happen. And much to his surprise, the door opened. The girl gripped the ends of her long, pink shirt shuffling her feet nervously. He feigned a warm smile.

 

“Thank you.” 

 

Vanitas stepped inside, hearing the door close behind him. He flinched as the girl scurried past him and hopped onto the couch in the tiny living room. She hid behind the armrest, peeking at him a couple of times. He quirked an eyebrow.

 

“Trying to play hide n’ seek or something?”

 

The girl gave him an indistinct nod. She still seemed uncertain, but it was clear she wanted to play. Being an only child, the father probably left her alone pretty often. He wondered where the mother was, but quickly dismissed the thought since it wasn't his business. He decided to start with a simpler question before searching and questioning the child for the cash.

 

“...Hey, kid. You got a name?”

 

The girl shook her head. She smiled a little back at him.

 

“What's  _ that _ supposed to mean? Your dad didn’t give you a _ name?” _

 

“Play!” the girl exclaimed. She covered her eyes, then revealed them.

 

“Ah. I get it now.” Vanitas crossed his arms. “You'll only tell me if I play hide n’ seek with you?”

 

The girl nodded again, more vigorously this time. She was starting to get a little bolder. Good. It would be easier to get information out of her if she trusted him.

 

“...Alright, I’m game. But I should warn you: I am EXTREMELY good at finding people. You wanna hide, I’ll bet?”

 

“Hide!” the girl clapped her hands together.

 

“Thought so. I'll count all the way to 20. That should give you plenty of time to hide. How does that sound?”

 

The girl squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down on the couch. Vanitas walked over to the wall and covered his face with his hands.

 

“Okay. I'm gonna start counting. You ready?”

 

“Ready!”

 

Vanitas looked back at her, giving her a brief nod as she grinned from ear to ear. He took a deep breath...and started counting.

 

“...One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…” he glanced back for a second, only for her to shout something incomprehensible at him with a pouty face. Probably to stop cheating. He turned back around, shrugging to himself.

 

_ This is ridiculous. The clan will NEVER let me live it down if they hear about this. But I suppose I have no choice. _

 

****

“...Eighteen, nineteen...twenty.” Vanitas swiveled around. 

 

_ ….No sign of her. Must've hidden herself pretty well. Guess I'll start searching. _

 

Vanitas creeped through the house, pulling out couch cushions and searching underneath every kind of seat he could find. Opening the kitchen cabinets, then the refrigerator just in case. Nothing. It would’ve been too weird to find her in there anyways. 

 

He noticed two rooms down the cramped hallway. One on the left, and the second at the very end. That one had pink flowers all over it. A smug grin formed on his mouth. 

 

“Bingo.”

 

Vanitas quietly approached the door and opened it. The tiny room was a mess. Stuffed animals were everywhere. They all seemed normal enough, aside from the stuffed orange clownfish and the cowboy that stuck out. There was another peculiar one lying on her bed. Looked like a one-eyed monster, complete with horns and stubby tentacles for feet. Shaking his head, Vanitas tiptoed towards the bed. He got down on his knees and bent down to peek underneath the bed. 

 

Immediately, a pair of white tentacles reached out towards him, along with the face of a ‘scary’ one-eyed monster costume.

 

_ “Boo!” _

 

Vanitas rolled his eyes. “Oh no, you got me. I’m quaking in my black leather shoes.”

 

The little girl snickered as she pulled down the hood-mask, grinning mischievously. She darted past him and left her room.

“Oh no you don’t!” Vanitas shot up and pursued her. “I beat you fair and square!”

 

“No! Catch!” 

 

The girl’s laughter bounced against the walls as she evaded each and every attempt to get caught. Every time Vanitas thought he had her cornered, she managed to slide right past him. The costume she was wearing did nothing to slow her down. She was practically bursting with pent-up energy she hadn’t released until now. She was definitely a handful, that was for sure.

 

Unfortunately, so was he. He could do this all day after being cooped up in HQ for as long as he was. No matter their demands and regulations, the clan always had trouble reining him in when he went out to work. Under normal circumstances, any other yakuza member would be executed for such insubordinate behavior. Good thing he wasn’t like any of them.

 

Eventually, Vanitas noticed that she was starting to get tired. Seizing the opportunity when she let her guard down, he scooped her up from the floor. He kept her at arm’s length with a mildly uncomfortable look. The girl wriggled to free herself, giggling in the meantime. Vanitas froze when she grabbed and pulled at his spiky hair. She cooed at the realization that it was natural, as well as surprisingly soft.

 

“HEY.” Vanitas drew his head back to free himself.  _ “Nobody touches the hair. _ It’s messy enough without your grubby costume making it worse.”

 

The girl snickered, putting her hands over her mouth.

 

“Kitty!”

 

Vanitas stared at her incredulously. “Wh-I-I’m not a  _ cat!” _

 

She tried mimicking him, putting her hands on her hips. It sounded like random babbling, but he could tell when was being made fun of. It seemed that his behavior (and his hair) was what made her think he was cat-like.

 

Vanitas fought the urge to drop her right then and there. He hated this.

 

“Again! Again!” the girl clapped her tentacles, which just sounded like muffled plastic tubes smacking against each other.

 

“No way, kid. I’m beat. I’m sure you are too.”

 

She whined, but didn't necessarily object to what Vanitas said. He set her down and internally cursed at himself for what he was about to say next.

 

“Did you have fun?”

 

The girl nodded eagerly at him. It was clear that he’d won her over. Even though he’d embarrassed himself (with no one else watching, thankfully), all was going according to plan.

 

“In that case, let's take a small break. You mind giving me a small tour of your place after that?”

 

“Okay!” The girl said excitedly.

 

Vanitas plopped down on the couch, sighing loudly. He closed his eyes to relax for a moment. His eyebrows creased when he felt something jump onto the couch next to him. The girl’s constant movement was beginning to piss him off. He opened one eye and glared at her.

 

“...Kid. Could you stay still for five minutes? Just turn on the TV or something.”

 

The girl hummed, then slid off the couch. Vanitas let out a sigh of relief.

 

_ Finally. Some peace and quie- _

 

His eyes snapped open at the sound of the TV blaring the theme song to a children’s show. The girl’s loud, shrill voice accompanied it. He grinded his teeth, resisting his automatic instinct to reach for the dagger on his belt. As tempting as it was, he didn’t want to get in trouble doing the one thing he told Xigbar he wouldn’t do. It would just give the one-eyed creep more ammo to use against him. Xehanort would  _ never  _ let him go up a rank if he screwed up again. Worst case scenario would be that they decide to beat him into submission for his defiance. He wasn’t about to go through THAT one more time.

 

Vanitas lifted his head, completely fed up but not too keen on causing harm to the girl. Hell, he didn’t even know her  _ name _ yet. He had to display  _ some  _ level of common decency. Vanitas grabbed the remote and switched off the TV, to which the girl blew a raspberry at him in disapproval.

 

_ Keep it together. Don’t let it get under your skin. _

 

He smiled at her again, but it was more strained this time. He was starting to realize how much he actually hated children. Lower on the list of his personal pet peeves, but it was still pretty high up there.

 

“Let’s do something else, okay? How about you give me your name like you said you would?”

 

The girl fumbled with her chubby fingers, thinking about what she should tell him. She’d taken off her monster costume while he wasn’t looking. The girl stood up, staring at Vanitas dead in the eyes. She then did the same motion as earlier; covering and showing her face.

 

“Boo!”

 

“...Really? ‘Boo’?” Vanitas appeared doubtful. “You’re not just pulling my leg with that?”

 

_ “No!” _

 

“Okay, okay. _ Relax, _ sheesh.” he rubbed his temple. 

 

_...That has to be a nickname she likes going by. That’s WAY too weird of a real name. But I’ll take it. I honestly don’t care. _

 

“...How about you take me on that tour now? I’m done with trying to relax.”

 

Boo’s face lit up at his request. She reached out and grabbed him by the hand, tugging at it so he would follow her. He bristled at the physical contact, but did his best to hide it.

 

_ The sooner I find the money, the sooner I can LEAVE. _

 

****

 

Vanitas spent the next hour with Boo as she took him on a small tour. Her english was still pretty broken, but he got the basic idea of what she would say to him. It helped that she pointed at everything, even though the entire experience was nothing but a waste of time.. 

 

Most of her explanations were pretty accurate: naming the kitchen ‘kitchen’, the bathroom ‘bathroom’, and the chairs as ‘chair’. For some reason, she called the TV ‘box’. At least she got the shape right. Boo went through the trouble of naming every single utensil in the kitchen, the odd paintings on the walls that to him just looked like pointless splotches on a canvas, and three pots of different flowers that were on a small round table. She even gave the plants _ individual  _ names: “Fluffy” was the peony, “Rosy” was the rose, and for some inexplicable reason the green orchid was named “Mike Wazowski”. He wasn’t about to ask why.

 

“My room!” Boo giddily hopped up and down as she pointed at her door. Vanitas placed his free hand on her head to make her stop.

 

“Pipe down. Let’s go inside.”

 

Boo got on her tippy toes to turn the door handle. She ran inside as Vanitas sautered after her. 

 

“Alright, kid. Show me what you got.”

 

_ Let’s hope the cash is in here. If not, I’ll turn the old man’s room upside down if I have to. _

 

Boo poked his leg to get his attention. Vanitas snapped out of his thoughts just as she lifted something up for him to look at. One of her stuffed animals.

 

“Doggy!”

 

“Uh, yeah. That’s a dog. And?”

 

Boo huffed, jumping up and down. Vanitas looked between her and the toy.

 

“What do you want me to do with it? Hold it?”

 

Boo nodded, shaking the stuffed dog a little. Vanitas breathed out sharply, then took the little animal. There was a chunk missing from its ear. It was hard to tell if that was intentional or if it had had a little accident. Overall it seemed pretty old, yet treated with love throughout the years.

 

_...Wait. Why am I thinking about this??? _ Vantas shook his head.

 

“It’s...cute, kid.” he gave Boo back the toy. “Are we done here? I haven’t seen your pop’s room yet.”

 

“No!” Boo pointed at the rest of her room. “More toys!”

 

“And I’m guessing you want me to ‘meet’ them all.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Vanitas was just about ready to slam his face into the wall. Repeatedly. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take. His restlessness to finish the job already was killing him on the inside.

 

“...Let’s get this over with.”

 

****

After another  _ excruciating _ hour of learning the names of Boo’s toys, it was almost over. She’d saved the stuffed creature he’d seen before on her bed for last. Vanitas watched as she picked it up, handling it with extra care unlike any of the others. It appeared that this toy in particular was very special to her. She gazed up at Vanitas with her big, brown eyes.

 

“...Little Mikey.” 

 

_ “Fantastic. _ Hand him over, then.” Vanitas reached down to take it like they’d been doing for the past hour, but froze when she suddenly reeled back.

 

“Hey, what’s the matter? You don’t want me to hold that one?”

 

“....” Boo lowered her head, looking a bit guilty. Did she actually think he  _ enjoyed  _ any of of this…? Maybe it was best not to break it to her.

 

“It’s fine. I don’t have to hold every single one. We can just move on already.”

 

Boo shook her head, letting out a small noise that resembled a whimper. She was conflicted. 

 

_ At this rate, we’ll be here all day. Come on, Vanitas, THINK of something. _

 

An idea struck him almost immediately. Vanitas kneeled down to face her directly.

 

“...How about this. You can hold him out for me, and I’ll say hello. I’ll even shake his damn hand if that’ll make you happy.”

 

Boo smiled a little at him, then nodded.  _ Finally  _ this torture was just about finished. Vanitas did exactly as he told her, saying ‘hello’ to the doll named ‘Little Mikey’. He emphasized his gratitude at shaking its hand by adding “It’s an honor, Boo’s told me SO much about you”. Maybe it was milking the introduction a  _ little, _ but at least it got a laugh out of her. 

 

...It was almost... _ fun.  _ He pushed away the thought, but the pleasant, warm feeling lingered for a brief moment.

 

“Okay, kid. You satisfied?” Vanitas's tone became more serious. He was done playing games. It would be nighttime soon, which meant he didn't have a lot of time left.

 

Boo didn't seem to notice as she put Little Mikey down on her bed and happily skipped out to the hall. Vanitas put his hands in his pockets, silently wishing he could have a smoke.  _ Obviously _ he couldn't with a kid around. 

 

Boo opened her father's door without hesitation. She took off her white sneakers and climbed up on the larger bed, then started bouncing again. 

 

“Big!”

 

“Yeah, it's a big bed.” Vanitas crossed his arms.

 

“Tell me something. You know if your dad is hiding money somewhere? Like, a  _ lot _ of it?”

 

Boo tilted her head, staring at him curiously.

 

“Your dad told me to find it for him. Do you know where it could be? Maybe in a suitcase, or a bag, or something else?”

 

She continued to stare, looking completely clueless. Vanitas rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“Forget I asked. I'll start looking.”

 

“Help?” Boo asked.

 

“...Sure, why not. You can help. We'll cover more ground that way.”

 

Boo gave him a firm, determined nod. She jumped off the bed and went to the closet. Vanitas decided to search in the cabinets.

 

_ Where'd you put it, old man…?  _

 

“Lookit!”

 

Vanitas raised his head at the sound of Boo’s voice. She grunted as she pulled out a large, gray duffel bag from the closet. She stopped and sat down on the carpet once it was out.

 

“Heavy…”

 

“Nice work.” Vanitas approached Boo and the bag. “This has to be it.”

He kneeled down beside Boo, who looked at him with wide eyes. Vanitas unzipped the bag and pulled open either side of it.

 

“...What the hell?”

 

The bag was full of painting tools. Brushes, stained cloths, oils, and multiple colors of paint in small, plastic containers. Vanitas sighed, closing the bag.

 

“Guess that explains where all that weird art came from. I'm guessing your dad made ‘em?”

 

“Mmhmm!” Boo giggled. “Fun!”

 

_ More like a waste of time.  _ Vanitas shook his head and put the bag back in the closet.

 

_...Maybe it's under the bed. _

 

Vanitas inched over to the bed and put his head on the floor to get a good look underneath. He gasped when he noticed a large, black box with metal clasps.

 

“That has to be it. Stand back, kid.”

 

Boo crawled away from him as Vanitas stuck his arms under the bed, then dragged out the suitcase by gripping its handle. He unhooked the clasps and unzipped the top half..

 

“Gotcha.” he grinned at the pile of money inside. He was considering paying Mr. Gibbs a visit for _ lying _ to him....

 

“Yay!” Boo clapped her hands. Vanitas snapped out of his violent thoughts, remembering what he’d sworn not to do. Pity.

 

“Alright, kid.” Vanitas hoisted the suitcase over his shoulder. “It's time for me to leave. I got what I came for.”

 

“Leave?” 

 

Vanitas nodded. “Yeah. I can't stay here for much longer. It’s already dark outside. Your dad should be here by tomorrow morning.”

 

_ If he shows up now, that would be trouble.  _ Vanitas bit his lip.  _ Best to escape now while I still have a chance. Can’t afford to have him call the cops on me. He should be grateful I didn’t do anything to his kid. _

 

Boo looked like she was going to start crying. She closed her eyes as she sniffed and rubbed her nose.

 

“Why the long face?” Vanitas curved her mouth. “It’s not a big deal. You can always get another babysitter.”

 

Boo shook her head, looking miserable. She turned around suddenly and ran out of the room.

 

“Hey, wait!” Vanitas went after her. He was slowed down a bit by the weight of the suitcase resting on his back. She closed the door to her room before he could reach her. Vanitas groaned, dropping the suitcase then uselessly jiggling the doorknob. She’d locked it. He stopped, running his hands through his hair.

 

“What’s the big idea? What’d I say?”

 

Vanitas’s eyes widened when she unlocked the door a minute later. She peered at him through the slightly opened crevice.

 

“Wait.”

 

She closed the door again, leaving him with nothing but that word to go off of. Vanitas was at a loss.

 

_ What does she want me to wait for after freaking out like that? Forget this. _

 

Vanitas turned around to leave, but found himself hesitating. He had to admit that he was a  _ little  _ curious.

 

_ ….I’ll give her five minutes. If she doesn’t come out till then, I’m gone. _

 

So he waited. He kept his arms stubbornly crossed, tapping his fingers in irritation as he did, but waited nonetheless. He checked his watch every few seconds. By the time it had reached the 4:50 mark, he was ready to call it quits. Vanitas bent down to pick up the suitcase he’d dropped.

 

He flinched as the door swung open, inches from hitting him right across the face. He took a step back.

 

“Jeez!  _ Watch it!” _

 

Boo gave him an apologetic look. He noticed that her hands were behind her back, as if she was carrying something.

 

“...Got something there for me?” Vanitas raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

 

She nodded with a small pout in her expression. Boo squeezed one eye shut as she lifted up her arms to show him what it was. His eyes widened.

 

It was a drawing of Boo with her dad. Below them in the cluster of green that he could only assume to be grass were their names. ‘Mary’ and ‘Daddy’. But what truly baffled him was what was on the side opposite to her.  _ Vanitas _ was there, promptly named ‘Kitty’ as expected. In the picture, he was smiling and holding her hand. Above the questionable depiction of him was the word ‘friend’ written in red, with an arrow pointing at him to to make it clear.

 

_ Shit.  _ Vanitas pressed a fist on his mouth. _ She’s actually serious? This can’t be happening.  _

 

“Look, kid. This was fun and all, but believe me when I tell you that I am NOT a friend you want. You need to hang out with all the other little kids your age, not an adult you barely even know.”

 

Boo’s lips quivered. “...No kitty?”

 

“I don’t know what you mean by that, but let’s go with a no.” Vanitas grimaced. “Sorry, but this is the first and last time you’ll ever see me. That’s just the way things have to be.”

 

Boo stared at him with tears in her eyes. Without another word, she threw herself at him and hugged his leg. Vanitas was temporarily paralyzed by her actions, unsure with how to feel. He went with being angry. Vanitas pulled her off, picked up the suitcase, then stormed down the hall and out the front door. He didn’t look back, even though he heard her tiny footsteps follow him for a while then falter. He slammed the door shut behind him and took a deep breath. Smelled like smoke and gasoline outside, which he was used to. Better than being in there. It was already dark outside. Vanitas looked at his watch.

 

_ It’s only 8. Damn. I was still in there for a REALLY long time. I’d better get going. _

 

****

 

The next day, Vanitas left the Kuroihebi Clan’s stronghold completely unscathed. All the money had been accounted for, so he was finally off the hook. It was the least they could do after all the trouble he went through just to get his hands on it.

...But for some reason...he couldn’t get that little girl’s face out of his head. She looked so sad when he left. He had no idea why he kept thinking about it, considering he didn’t care at all.

 

...Right?

 

As he strolled down the street lost in his own thoughts, he picked up on an intense conversation some thugs were having nearby. For the most part he ignored what they were talking about, until they said something that caught his attention.

 

“...What about Gibbs? Don’t he owe us some money?”

 

“Of course he does, you idiot!” one of the men hissed. “He promised to get us that cash from the yakuza. If he doesn’t deliver today, we’ll kill him and take the kid.”

 

“What are we gonna do with a kid?”

 

“I don’t know. Kill her too, or just sell her to the highest bidder. Even leaving her out on the streets could be punishment enough.”

 

“Whoa, the kid didn’t do anything wrong!” another guy protested. “It was  _ Gibbs _ who owed us for that doe!”

 

Vanitas glanced over as the thug who objected got punched in the face. The culprit cracked his knuckles and gazed at the rest of the men.

 

_ “Anyone else wanna argue with me?” _

 

“N-No, boss!” they all exclaimed, bowing their heads in apology. Vanitas recognized what kind of men they were from the fancy clothes they were wearing.

 

_ Loan sharks. Shoulda known. Wonder how the old man got so sucked into debt with them that he tried to steal from yakuza. _

 

Vanitas narrowed his eyes. He was now faced with a moral dilemma. If he did nothing, Gibbs and Boo were going to be in deep trouble. It didn’t particularly bother him if the old man got served. But  _ Boo,  _ who did absolutely nothing wrong….

 

_...Why is this even bugging me?  _ Vanitas rubbed his head.  _ I normally don’t feel anything when innocents get hurt, no matter what age they are. Hell, I’d be content with watching this whole city burn. What’s  _ **_wrong_ ** _ with me? _

 

He thought back to yesterday during his time with the kid. Sure, there were plenty of things during that ordeal that he absolutely despised. But Boo…

Boo...wasn’t one of them. That was what confused him even more. He’d almost felt the same thing when he’d met those twins. He considered it to be a weakness. A flaw in his otherwise perfect guise as  _ The Shadow _ (a nickname he  _ still _ hated but couldn’t change now). Unless...there was something more to it than that.

 

...He couldn’t worry about it now. He had to make a choice. Vanitas stared long and hard at the loan sharks who were heading in the direction of Boo’s home. He must’ve looked like a crazy person to bystanders as he started walking back and forth, muttering to himself about what he should do.

 

“I can’t do this. I  _ can’t. _ What’s one more dead family? I’ve done worse to plenty of innocent people. This would be no different. I  _ shouldn’t  _ care. I DON’T care….”

 

Vanitas stopped pacing. He clenched his hands, gritting his teeth. He growled in irritation, then went after the loan sharks.

 

“I must be out of my mind.”

 

****

 

Vanitas skidded to a halt in front of the small alleyway that led to the apartment. He sprinted down the short path and immediately took notice of the front door. The top half was unhinged and the door had a hole in it, as if someone had purposefully destroyed it.

 

_...Am I too late? _

 

He heard some shouting. One of the voices was distinct enough for him to recognize: Boo’s father. He’d gotten home to some unwelcome guests, most likely. But what about Boo herself?

 

_ She’d better not be dead, or I came all this way for nothing. _

 

Vanitas snuck up the stairs and poked his head inside. Two of the loan sharks were holding Gibbs by the arms. The boss slithered up to the man and blew some smoke from his cigarette in his face, to which Boo’s father coughed and wheezed. It didn't help that he was wearing bandages on his face and head from his previous injuries. He was still very weak.

 

“I’m not happy with you, Gibbs. Not. Happy.”

 

“I-I’m sorry…” Gibbs stammered. “I-I had the money, but now it's all gone.”

 

“Where is it, then?” the boss hissed.  _ “Where is the cash you OWE me???” _

 

“I don't know.”

 

“Did you give it back to the yakuza I  _ specifically  _ asked you to take it from?!? ‘Cause  _ THAT'S  _ what this sounds like to me right now.” 

 

“I didn't!” Gibbs aggressively shook his head. “I  _ swear _ to you that I didn't!”

 

He yelled as the loan shark rammed the cigarette into his cheek, burning his skin. Vanitas perked up when he heard a familiar voice cry out. Boo stumbled into the living room with a terrified expression.

 

“Daddy!”

 

“No, sweetie!” Gibbs gasped. “Go to your room!  _ You shouldn't be here!!!” _

 

Boo yelped as one of the thugs grabbed her by the back of the shirt and lifted her up into the air. She kicked her feet back and forth, hitting the stranger’s chest in the process. He was unfazed by it.

 

“No! Please let her go!”

 

“I want my money, Gibbs.” The boss leaned forward. “And if you're not gonna give it to me,  _ she'll _ pay the price. What do you think? Put her into manual labor? Or just dump her into the river? I gotta say, that last option’s getting more appealing by the second.”

 

“You can't! She's just a little girl!”

 

“She wouldn't BE in this mess if it weren't for you.” the boss jabbed him in the chest. “I want you to think about that, Gibbs. It'll be the last thing you ever do.”

 

The boss turned around.

 

“...Take him out, boys.”

 

Boo furiously kicked at the man carrying her, despite it having no effect. She blew a raspberry at the boss, who simply scoffed at her antics. One of the thugs pulled out a gun and pressed it against her father's head. Tears were streaming down his face.

 

“...Please forgive me, honey. Your daddy messed up real bad.”

 

Boo whined at her father's words, then screamed as the goon placed his finger on the trigger. But the weapon didn't have a chance to go off as a frying pan flew across the kitchen and slammed into the back of the thug’s head. It knocked him out instantly. 

 

“What the?!” The boss and his crew turned their heads to where the pan had come from. A young man was lying back against the counter, smoking a cigarette of his own nonchalantly.

 

“Problem, boys?” He rested his arm on the counter. “Don't mind me. I'm no one special. Keep going about your business.”

 

_ “Who the hell are you?!?”  _ one of the loan sharks shouted.

 

“Hey. Language. There's a kid right in front of you. Show some respect.”

 

“Kitty!” Boo’s face brightened up almost instantly. The boss scowled at Vanitas.

 

“Who do you think you are??? We don't take kindly to people who don't mind their own business. Those kinds of morons end up in a ditch.”

 

“Good thing I'm not like most people, then. I don’t even need a real weapon to take you jokers down, as you saw already.” Vanitas sneered, expertly flicking the burnt-out cigarette into the trash can. He stood up straight, staring at the men coldly.

 

“I'll give you one chance to make things easy. Put the kid down and leave.”

 

“Like hell we will!” another loan shark took a step forward. “Boss, do I got permission to take this punk out!?!”

 

The boss scoffed.  _ “By all means.  _ Turn this chucklehead into a pulp.”

 

Vanitas smiled eerily.  _ “Music to my ears.” _

 

The loan shark roared as he charged at Vanitas, raising his fist. He swung at the young man but missed. Vanitas retaliated by ramming his elbow into the man’s skull. The man shrieked and collapsed on the ground, clutching his head in agony. Boo put her hands over her eyes as Vanitas continued his relentless assault.

 

“What are you idiots standing there for?!?” the boss pointed at Vanitas as he seethed at his men. “Stop doing it one at time!  _ Gang up on him!!!” _

 

The thug holding Boo threw her onto the couch, then the others released Gibbs. Boo’s father rushed over to her. The men turned his attention back to the young man that was causing them so much trouble, then rushed at him while yelling angrily. Vanitas looked around for some sort of weapon he could use that wasn’t his knife. As much as he liked using it, He didn’t want to traumatize Boo the moment she opened her eyes. It would be best to beat them and scare them off for now.

 

His eyes fell onto a wooden coat hanger next to the front door. Vanitas smiled.

 

_ Perfect.  _

 

Vanitas ran past the men before they could reach him, then grabbed the coat hanger. The moment he felt one of them touch his shoulder, he struck the man in the abdomen while facing the opposite direction. He turned around and swiped at their legs, knocking them all over. He crushed one enemy’s face with his foot while using the coat hanger to shatter the ribs of another. One shot up by surprise and punched him in the face. The man paled as Vanitas craned his head back towards him. He kicked the thug in the ribs, sending him flying back. Annoyed with the fact that his target was still standing, he used the last bit of the hanger’s durability by striking the top of the man’s skull. His weapon snapped right in half as the enemy fell to the ground. The few others that had remained semi-conscious tried backing away from him as much as they could.

 

“He’s...he’s not human…”

 

“What kind of monster IS he?!?”

 

“Please don’t hurt us anymore! We give up!”

 

_ “Cowards!” _ the boss spat. He snapped his head back to Vanitas.

 

“You’re gonna regret doing that. Now you have to deal with ME.” he got into a fighting stance.

 

Vanitas stared at him with disinterest. He laid back against the wall, close to the small table where the flower vases were. 

 

“You’re just some punk kid. But  _ me? _ I’m above all that rubbish you just took down. I’m an expert in the martial arts!” the boss pretended to kick at the air and closed his hands into fists. He marched over to Vanitas and got in his face.

 

“I’m gonna give you a taste of your own medicine. And there’s NOTHING you can do about i-”

 

Vanitas cut him off by smashing once of the vases into his face. The boss staggered back, stifling a scream as some of the broken ceramic had gone straight through his cheek. It gradually started to bleed. When the boss noticed his injury, he looked at Vanitas in disbelief.

 

“...What...ARE you?!?”

 

Vanitas grabbed the man by the front of his shirt. 

 

**_“Your worst nightmare.”_ **

 

He smashed his forehead into the boss’s face, then threw him across the room. The boss let out a strangled cry as his back hit the wall at full force. Vanitas approached and placed his arm on the wall, glaring down at him.

 

“...Get out.”

 

The boss scrambled past him and ran out the front door. His men followed shortly after with their tails between their legs. Vanitas dusted his hands, then glanced over at Boo who was sitting on the couch. She still had her hands on her face. He father was right next to her, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

 

“You can open your eyes now, kid.”

 

Boo dropped her hands. She looked around with her mouth slightly open in awe. A lot of the furniture was broken.

 

“...Sorry for the mess.”

 

Gibbs cleared his throat and stood up. He eyed Vanitas warily. He could see Boo’s father reaching down for the house phone, which had remained intact during the battle.

 

“Kitty!” Boo slid off the couch and bounded towards him. Vanitas gave her a blank stare as she circled around him excitedly. Gibbs retracted his hand from the phone, perplexed by his daughter’s attitude towards the stranger.

 

“...She...isn’t afraid of you.” Gibbs narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

 

“I was the one who took the money.” Vanitas shrugged. “...But in order to do that, I had to have your daughter let me in. I guess she took a liking to me.”

 

Gibbs contemplated what Vanitas said. He closed his eyes.

 

“My daughter...has always had a knack for sensing good people. You’re the last person I’d expect for her to like. But after what you did for us today...maybe there is more to you than meets the eye.”

 

He opened his eyes and gave Vanitas a small, forced smile, despite still being unsure.

 

“...Thank you. You really saved us.”

 

“Sure.” Vanitas frowned. “But make no mistake. I didn’t do it for  _ you.” _

 

He glanced at Boo, who looked back up at him cheerfully. Vanitas smirked.

 

“...Your kid’s alright. Don’t mess up her life because of your own stupid decisions. I won’t be there to bail you out next time.”

 

“Right, of course.” the man bowed his head. “I’ll be more careful, for Mary’s sake.”

 

“Huh. That’s her real name? She said it was ‘Boo’.”

 

Gibbs snorted. “Yeah. That’s just a nickname she likes to go by. Came up with it all by herself.”

 

“Figures.” Vanitas rubbed his head.

 

“...Well, I’m out. Tell  _ no one _ that I was here. I got a reputation to uphold. My threat to come for you still stands.”

 

“R...right.” Gibbs straightened his glasses. “Don't worry. I definitely won't cross  _ you  _ again.”

 

“Good.”

 

Vanitas turned towards the front door, but tensed up when Boo got in his way. 

 

“Kitty?”

 

“What now?” Vanitas shifted uncomfortably. He _ really  _ didn’t want her to try hugging him again.

 

Boo pulled out a folded sheet of paper from her pocket. She straightened it out and handed it to him. It was the drawing from before.

 

“...You...want me to have this?”

 

“Mmhmm!” Boo pointed at him. “Kitty a friend!’

 

Vanitas sighed.

 

“...Fine. I accept your gift. But you have terrible taste.”

 

Boo shook her head. “No. Good friend.”

 

Vanitas rolled his eyes, shoving the drawing into his pocket. Boo approached with her arms outstretched, but suddenly stopped and lowered them.

 

“No hug.”

 

Vanitas looked at her in surprise. He hasn't expected her to catch onto the fact that he didn't like being touched. His respect for her grew ever so slightly.

 

“Yeah. That's right. Thanks, Boo.”

 

Vanitas walked past her, stepping outside. He stole another glance back at the little girl, who waved shyly at him.

 

He waved back, then turned and continued on his way. Back to the usual grind. Back to what he was accustomed to. Though he had to admit, for a change of pace...this hadn't been that bad.

 

“...See ya.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: During the scene in Monsters Inc. where Boo takes Sulley's bed, one of the drawings reveals her true name to be 'Mary'. The name of the actress who voiced her was Mary Gibbs. I think I'll add some more random Disney facts for the next few substories...when I get to them. This might take a while. XD


End file.
